Non-attendance in paediatric outpatient clinics, text reminder versus conventional system a randomised control trial
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Date
2017
Authors
Fikry @ Fickry, Azri
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Pusat Pengajian Sains Perubatan, Universiti Sains Malaysia
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: A high non-attendance rate (NAR) in outpatient clinics continues to
pose a significant problem worldwide. A high NAR has negative consequences to costs of
health care and quality of patient care. Hence, this study was undertaken to evaluate if SMS
reminder could improve the NAR compared to the conventional system in a paediatric clinic
at a tertiary hospital in East Coast Malaysia.
Methods: We conducted a parallel single blind randomised controlled study
where consented parents of patients that required a clinic appointment were recruited into the
study. Upon randomisation, subjects were allocated either to the intervention group that will
receive SMS reminder or the control group. In the intervention group, an SMS reminder will
be sent a week before the appointment date but the control group will not be given any
reminder.Results: 314 subjects were analysed in control group and 309 subjects for the
intervention group. The NAR in our clinics was 33% and the SMS reminder significantly
reduced the NAR in the intervention compared by 15.1% (p<0.001) to the conventional
system. There was no association of poor socioeconomic group with poor attendance rate.
Conclusion: SMS reminder was effective in reducing the NAR at Paediatric outpatient
clinics compared to the conventional system. Poor socioeconomic status did not have any
negative effect in attendance rate.
Description
Keywords
Health services administration